my art diary or how to make (or at least think about making) art while spending quality time with the day job, family, friends & dogs (not in any particular order)

Sunday, May 22, 2016

home for a while..... totem series in progress

i didn't travel last week and hardly knew what to do with myself- it's like so much time suddenly appeared. i felt like i could think about painting again, instead of journaling or photography.

i worked on some backgrounds

and on a draft of my next totem series piece (you can see the photo reference in the upper right corner of the image above. he'll go on the background above, after i work on it a bit more. i didn't get the head quite right- needs to be more triangular- but that's why we practice. one thing this really brought home to me is how much i like water soluble graphite. no clue what i'll do with that, but it's a fact.

it's nice to have portable art, as i worked on this in my studio annex in fairfield. spring is a beautiful time in idaho, especially so on the marsh in good water years (this is the first of those in a while).

camas lilies add another body of blue

the marsh is alive with birdsong (a generous word for the noise this guy is making, but he's singing his heart out) and hosts a variety of avian visitors

when i was driving around the area yesterday i kept seeing short eared owls but was never in a spot to shoot them. i decided to make it work today (hoping, of course, that they'd be hanging out in the same places).

i was lucky enough to see 4 owls and to shoot 3 of them. the bottom 2 are the same owl- she let me work my way closer and i was grateful. i have a feeling that this is next up in the totem series-

it's so nice to feel inspired and to feel like painting and to have the time at home to do it! of course, i need to weed the garden and plant my pots and do a few other things too, but i have time at home!!!!

1 comment:

Hi Marianne, Happy spring to you in Idaho. That marsh photo is gorgeous with the water, the lilies, and the mountains. Your bird photos are amazing. I think that little owl wants to be a totem for you! Enjoy your time at home.